AAR: Two Day Rifle Clinic (October 1-2, 2016, Las Vegas, NV)

Over a dozen participants joined us at the “Five Star” Clark County Shooting Park in Las Vegas, NV recently for a full weekend of shooting, history, and civic engagement!  The weather was fabulous and the company even better.

After the safety brief, we kicked things off with our traditional “Morgan’s 13” pre-test.  This evaluates student marksmanship skill against silhouettes representing scaled targets at various distances.  The pre-test was a little rough…  We had a few folks hit the silhouette representing a scaled 100 yard target, but that was it.  Clearly there was work to be done!

A student fine tunes the prone position and checks NPOA!

Our volunteer instructors sprang into action and taught the pillars of basic rifle marksmanship:  stable positions, the five shooting fundamentals, and natural point of aim.  We started to mix in some new positions as the day went on, as well as some drills like reloads and multiple targets.  Zach was especially helpful as our “Rifle First Aid Medic,” applying CLP, zip-tying slings in place, and building up stocks to fix scope eye relief.  The day wrapped up in the classroom with a lecture on “inches, minutes, and clicks” and known distance shooting.

Throughout the day, we wove in the true history of the story of April 19, 1775.  Thanks especially to Bobbi and Heather for stepping up to tell this tale!

On Sunday, our newest instructor Dann did a GREAT job reviewing the previous day’s lessons.  The groups kept getting tighter!  Students took a few swings at our signature Qualifier based on the CMP’s service rifle course of fire and scores crept up.

Over lunch, Chelsea and Heather regaled us with stories of Lady Patriots, David Lamson, and Mother Batherick; earlier, Dann and Chris told of the legends of Hezekiah Wyman and Samuel Whittemore.

After lunch, we gathered Data On Personal Equipment (“DOPE”).  Students shot their rifles at 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards.  Most of our rimfire shooters found that the calculated trajectory is pretty close, but some learned that their rifle, ammunition, and optic system didn’t match the rule of thumb.  Others learned the exact MOA clicks on their optics weren’t exactly as advertised by the manufacturer…  All invaluable data you can only get by shooting.  Our centerfire shooter saw just how high those bullets arc when using a 25 yard zero; they applied IMC to adjust to a 100 yard zero calibrated with their BDC reticle after a single group.  That IMC stuff stuff really works!

Shooters learn about DOPE at the 100 yard line

After getting the DOPE, it was time to put that information to work!  Shooters tried their hand at a “mini known distance” service rifle match, shooting scaled targets at 100, 75, 50 and 25 yards, applying come-ups the whole while.  Everyone was scoring hits!

Shooters apply their come-ups at the 75 yard line, applying all that Data on Personal Equipment!

After the formal close of the event at 3 PM, we spent the last hour or two shooting qualifiers. We had a variety of firearms on hand including a Brown Bess musket replica, a M1A and suppressed SBRs to try out. Our students from California seemed especially appreciative of the latter!

At the end of the weekend, we celebrated two students achieving a Marksman’s score on the qualifier.  Afsheen qualified as a Sharpshooter and was awarded our patch!  We were also thrilled to recognize our two youth shooters — we had brothers aged 9 and 12 out for the first time shooting ever who were confidently landing hits at 100 yards with their rimfires and wearing huge grins while blazing away with the M1A.

Afsheen in the process of qualifying as a sharpshooter!

Most tellingly, the Morgan’s 13 post-test looked way different.  Every student improved over the course of the weekend.  We had lots of hits on scaled 300 and 400 yard silhouettes which are not much larger than a postage stamp placed out at 25 yards.  The improvement was crystal clear.

We wrapped things up with some education on Proposition One and how to get involved in our communities.  One of our volunteers, Dan, had dropped in earlier in the day and filled us in on the status of phone banking and canvas efforts.

This was a great weekend at CCSP.  If you haven’t made it out to this world class facility, join us at an upcoming event.  We have a Carbine class scheduled for October 29 as well as several events through 2017, to include the pistol, carbine, and rifle disciplines.